Busy Season Daily Workplace Exercises

Here's a new exercise for all of you folks out there who have brought a set of dumbbells into the office. Everyone else - you're not off the hook. Grab a work bag or even a heavy stapler - just something that weighs a couple of pounds.

Every time you bend over to pick up one of those client files that are stacked in piles around your office, you can think of this exercise. Squats can tone muscles throughout your legs, abs, and lower back, and also increase flexibility.

Here's a quick little exercise you can do in your office chair that will help tone your waist and abdominal muscles. If your chair has wheels, place the chair back against your desk or the wall so that the chair won't roll.

Today's office fitness tip comes to up from Mandi Clossey of Somerset CPAs in Indianapolis. Lunge exercises are great on the thighs, and this one will force you to get up from your desk. We guarantee you will feel energized after doing these lunges.

The name of today's exercise refers not to a herd of small cattle chasing weary accountants down the halls, like a miniature version of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, but to a small workout for the lower part of your legs.

A lunch brought from home can be much more economical than eating out. A healthy afternoon snack can give you an energy boost. Since it's Friday, today's office fitness tip is one you can take home with you and use over the weekend to help you prepare foods to bring to work next week.

Today's exercise requires the use of a weight that you can hold in both your hands. A briefcase or laptop bag will work perfectly, as will a pair of dumbbells or anything else you can find around the office that's got a bit of substance to it.

These exercises will help alleviate the muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and back that comes from sitting for many long hours at a desk. Each of these exercises is done while you are seated at your desk.

Fitness expert Cindy Whitmarsh, who has been sharing tips and exercises with us this spring, has designed some exercises designed specifically for tax accountants. Today's exercise finds a new use for your heavy tax books!

Take this four minute energy break and you'll feel like you're ready to start the second eight hours of your busy-season work day. At the very least, you'll raise the eyebrows of people passing by your office.

Today's exercise, courtesy of fitness expert Cindy Whitmarsh, will take about three minutes. This exercise is great for stretching hips and hamstrings and will help relieve sciatic pain from sitting too long!

Today's exercise comes from the Office Chair Workout plan on the Web site, EmpowerWomenNow, but rest assured the exercise is good for both men and women. The exercises on this site are designed to invigorate the entire body.

Remember, if you don't have weights – get creative and find something heavy around your office that you can use instead. Some weight alternatives might include canned goods, water bottles filled with sand, bean bags (you can make them out of old socks – as long as the socks don't have holes!).